Browsed byCategory: Learning to Sail

Poulsbo to Port Ludlow

The most unfortunate thing about our summer was that we were caught up in replacing the mast step and repairing a stringer for most of the cruising season. We had so many plans, so many intentions to cruise here and there, exploring the Puget Sound, plans that were put on hold while we made major repairs to our boat.

So you can bet your bottom we set sail at our first opportunity once the boat was back in operable condition. All winter our friends had been telling us how great the San Juans are, how we have to get out there and explore the islands. And we’d been chomping at the bit to do just that.

We had a long list of things to do before we could leave. Provision the boat. Clean the boat. Check to make sure everything was in working order. Laundry. Make sure Katie had food. Learn how to anchor. Charge all of our batteries, since we would be staying at anchor most of the time. Make sure we had enough coffee to last us the trip. Fill the fuel and water tanks. Pump out our holding tank. Etc. Etc. Etc.

We got everything done except “Learn to anchor.” It made me a little bit nervous that we had never done this before we left on a long trip, but Jim had done a lot of research, talked to a lot of people and felt confident that we could figure it out.

And we did. In Port Ludlow, just before dark, with a windlass that just didn’t want to work at first.

Check out our video for more about the first leg of our San Juan Islands adventure.

When we decided to move our life onto a boat, one of the things we were most excited about was the sense of community that seems to exist within a marina. Living in a house in a neighborhood where the residents seemed to care very little about each other was sad for us and left a lot to be desired by way of feeling like we belonged where we lived.

When we got to Poulsbo, we were immediately welcomed into the fold, and we love it. There are 25 liveaboard boats in our marina and we’ve become friends with several of them. Two boats down from us on a Hunter 37 is Skip, a seasoned sailor who was eager to share his knowledge and passion for sailing with us. As newbies to this realm of the boating world, we are eager to accept any tutelage that is offered to us, and last week Skip came out with us to show us a few things about sailing our boat efficiently and safely.

We were so grateful for the lessons and the company of our friend, Skip. And we are so glad to finally feel like we fit in with the community we live in.

If you live on a boat, what is your favorite thing about boat life?

Cheers!

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